San Diego Car Accident Kills Pedestrian

By John Bisnar

Steven Anthony Kelley, 18, was killed in a San Diego car accident after he was struck by a two cars while crossing El Camino Real, in Carlsbad, the night of March 5, 2010. According to a news report in The San Diego Union-Tribune, the second driver waited at the scene, but the driver who initially struck Kelley drove away. The following day, a woman called police and told them that she may have struck Kelley. She told officials she drove away because she thought she had “struck an object” and did not realize that she may have hit a person. Kelley was crossing the northbound lanes of El Camino Real, near Camino Vida Roble.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Steven Anthony Kelley for their tragic and untimely loss. I offer my deepest condolences to them. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.Pedestrian Accident Statistics

According to California Highway Patrol’s 2008 Statewide Integrated Traffic Records System (SWITRS), there were three fatalities and 25 injuries involving pedestrian accidents in Carlsbad. In San Diego County as a whole, 63 fatalities and 998 injuries were reported as a result of pedestrian accidents during the same year.

Leaving the Scene of an Accident

Based on this news report, officials are still looking into whether this was a hit-and-run accident. Leaving the scene of an accident is a serious crime under California law. According to California Vehicle Code section 20001: “The driver of a vehicle involved in an accident resulting in injury to a person, other than himself or herself, or in the death of a person shall immediately stop the vehicle at the scene of the accident.”

Liability Issues

If I were a member of Kelley’s family, I would want to know whether the woman was at fault for the accident and Kelley’s fatal injuries. Was she telling the truth or did she drive away because she panicked and then realized later that turning herself in was the right thing to do. We just don’t know yet. In such cases, victims’ families would be well-advised to contact an experienced San Diego car accident lawyer, who will stay on top of the official investigation and make sure that the negligent parties are held accountable.

A knowledgeable car accident lawyer will also be able to determine whether there was a dangerous condition on the roadway, which caused or contributed to this fatal pedestrian accident. If that was the case, the governmental agency responsible for maintaining the roadway could also be held liable. Any such claim against a governmental entity in California must be filed within 180 days of the accident or injury.

The Bisnar Chase Personal Injury Attorneys is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

I didn’t know him, but he was a good friend of my fiance. We saw him at outside of a movie theater just an hour or two before the accident. May he rest in peace, and have justice for his untimely death.

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